In a classroom setting, you will often need to share supplies. When you use verbs like gefa (to give), lána (to lend), senda (to send), sýna (to show), or rétta (to hand), the verb needs two objects: the person receiving the item, and the item itself.
Dative Person, Accusative Item
In English, we say "I hand the teacher the notebook." Icelandic uses the exact same word order, but relies on cases to show who gets what:
- The person receiving (the indirect object) is in the dative case.
- The item being transferred (the direct object) is in the accusative case.
Watch how kennarinn (the teacher) becomes the dative kennaranum, while stílabókin (the notebook) becomes the accusative stílabókina:
| I want to hand the teacher the notebook. | Ég vil rétta kennaranum stílabókina. |
The same rule applies with other verbs, like when lending something to a student (stelpan becomes stelpunni):
| We always lend the girl the ruler. | Við lánum stelpunni alltaf reglustikuna. |
Using Pronouns
If the person receiving the item is a pronoun, you must use its dative form. Common dative pronouns include mér (me), þér (you), honum (him), and henni (her).
| He always gives me this pencil case. | Hann gefur mér alltaf þetta pennaveski. |
| I always hand her the eraser. | Ég rétti henni alltaf strokleðrið. |
Sharing Multiple Items
If you are giving or lending more than one item, the person receiving them is still in the dative case, and all the items being transferred are in the accusative case.
| He often lends me the notebook and the calculator. | Hann lánar mér oft stílabókina og vasareikninn. |